Milling Media

International Syalons make a range of sialon and silicon nitride advanced ceramic grinding media, which are used in industrial wear applications for the preparation of analytical samples and the milling or mixing of abrasive powders. They offer reduced contamination and improved milling efficiency over other materials such as alumina, zirconia, tungsten carbide and steel.

Sialons are ceramic alloys of silicon nitride and possess the unique properties of the parent material along with ease of fabrication. Sialons are strong, tough and hard, offer excellent wear and corrosion resistance and are thermally stable.

Sialon milling media are available in two grades, Syalon 101 and Syalon 050. Syalon 101 is suited to applications where impact resistance is critical, whereas Syalon 050 is the harder material and is suited to extreme wear applications.

In analytical sample preparation trials, weight losses for Syalon 101 bowls and media were about 14% of the reported weight losses for agate, alumina, zirconia and tungsten carbide, thus vastly reducing contamination of the sample as well as extending the media life. In addition, milling efficiencies for Syalon 101 are also generally improved, meaning milling times are reduced.

In circumstances where analytical samples are being prepared and contamination by yttrium oxide, from the Syalon, must be avoided, International Syalons can produce an yttria free version of Syalon 101, while maintaining all the benefits of the original material.